HIV Ireland
NewsDesk Weekly
8 January 2016
HIV
HPSC - Weekly HIV & STI Report - Weeks 50-51-52, 2015
Latest data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show a total of 18 new cases for weeks 50-51-52, 2015, bringing the total to 498 HIV new notifications for 2015.
Lessons learnt from the history of contraception are relevant for the implementation of PrEP
Aidsmap, 6 January 2016
The history of contraception has been reviewed in order to identify parallels with PrEP. American controversies about the oral contraceptive pill are similar to those surrounding the introduction of PrEP.
The Problem With “Not an Actual Patient”
Slate, 7 January 2016
“Not an actual patient.” In many print advertisements for HIV drugs that include an image of a real human being, a small caption is added, clarifying that the person seen is a model and does not actually have HIV.
ViiV and Janssen to develop HIV maintenance therapy
Pharma Times, 8 January 2016
GSK, Pfizer and Shionogi venture ViiV Healthcare is linking with Janssen Ireland to develop and commercialise the first long-acting, two-drug injectable treatment regimen for HIV.
Sexy PrEP Ads Appeal to Pleasure
Beta Blog, 28 December 2015
Empowerment and pleasure are replacing fear as the motivation central to HIV prevention public health campaigns, especially for new HIV prevention strategies such as PrEP.
See also:
Is it important for PrEP programs to talk about sex and pleasure, not just prevention?
Beta Blog, 24 December 2015
DIY healthcare: importing PrEP into the UK
Prepster, 7 January 2016
With an official decision on NHS supply of PrEP still up in the air, more and more people are taking matters into their own hands and importing the pills from online pharmacies based overseas. Prepster spoke to four gay men doing this to find out how easy things are in practice.
Op-ed: Four Skills You Need to Successfully Manage Your HIV
HIV Plus mag, 6 January 2016
Chronic illnesses can impact anyone, and patients need some specific skills to manage them. Here are the top four skills needed in confronting HIV.
Checking In
Poz, 14 December 2015
The relationship with your doctor shouldn't always be one where you're simply checking in with yes and no answers. Full engagement is needed to have a successful doctor/patient relationship especially for people living with HIV..
3 Potential Barriers to HIV PrEP
Pharmacy Times, 30 December 2015
Adherence, access and education are potential barriers to PrEP for HIVprevention
Sex, surgery and HIV: Living in the shadows, the secret struggle of Peru's transwomen who sell their bodies and may be dead by 35
Daily Mail, 8 January 2016
Photographer Danielle Villasana documented the lives of a community of transgender women in downtown Lima, giving an insight into the lives of these women, shunned from society and with no access to healthcare, education or work opportunities.
HIV clinic fined £250 for data breach
BBC News, 18 December 2015
A clinic providing information and support for HIV-positive people has been fined for data breach as twice in 2014 staff emailed up to 200 members at a time without obscuring other patients' email addresses.
HIV Criminalization Rate May Be Much Higher Than Thought, Says Report
Poz, 21 December 2015
The “HIV Criminalization in California: Penal Implications for People Living with HIV/AIDS” report analyzed data from the California Department of Justice regarding anyone in contact with HIV-related criminal laws between 1988 to June 2014.
Thatcher tried to block 'bad taste' public health warnings about Aids
The Guardian, 30 December 2015
Margaret Thatcher attempted to block explicit, public health warnings about HIV transmission because she feared the proposed descriptions of “risky sex” would do immense harm to young teenagers.
The State of the HIV Epidemic
Poz, 4 January 2016
Following years of apparent stagnation in the US fight against HIV, recent reports suggest that things are looking up. What’s the full story?
Worlds Apart: Vast Disparities In Treatment Separate Americans With HIV
KHN, 24 December 2015
While life expectancies are approaching the national norm among white, affluent gay men, about 66 percent of the 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States are not in treatment, imperilling their health and putting them at risk of infecting others.
See also:
The People Left Behind in the Fight Against HIV
The Atlantic, 31 December 2015
Advances in treatment haven’t made a difference for many of the most vulnerable patients in the US.
Nearly Half of HIV-Positive Americans Aren’t on Medication
HIV Plus Mag, 4 January 2015
A new report from the National Center for Health Statistics suggests that nearly half of all American adults living with HIV are not on antiretroviral medications.
Could one shot every two months eradicate HIV?
Raw Story, 4 January 2016
In the latest trials, an injection once every eight weeks performed even better than daily pills, which currently are the gold standard of HIV treatment.
A New HIV Treatment? Antibody Infusion Supresses The Virus In Real-Life Patients
Medical Daily, 28 December 2015
A pilot study finds that the antibody VRC01 may have potential in reducing the viral load of people living with HIV.
Previous AIDS-related pulmonary disease associated with lung cancer risk for people with HIV
Aidsmap, 22 December 2015
Smoking considerably raises the risk of lung cancer. A new study has shown that the risk is especially high for HIV positive people who were diagnosed very late, with a very low CD4 count. In these cases, the damage to the lungs may be long-lasting enough to further raise the risk of lung cancer years later.
No New HIV Infections Among Consistent Truvada Users in PrEP Demo Project
HIV and Hepatitis, 6 January 2016
HIV incidence was "extremely low" in a PrEP demonstration project at community-based clinics in 3 US centres, and no new infections were seen among MSM who took Truvada at least twice a week. PrEP adherence was higher among people at greater risk for HIV.
Hepatitis
Hopes Hepatitis C could be wiped out in Australia as the Federal Government pledges $1b to subsidise 'breakthrough' cures
9 News, 18 December 2015
Australians with Hepatitis C will no longer have to spend up to $100,000 on a course of treatment, after the Federal Government announced $1 billion in funding to subsidise the cost of new effective treatments.
Just 8.3% of Safety Net Patients Receive Hepatitis C Screenings
Health IT Analytics, 6 January 2016
According to a new study, only 8.3 percent of eligible patients seen at US safety net community health centres receive appropriate screenings for the hepatitis C virus, with female patients significantly less likely to be screened than their male counterparts.
STIs
Report of the Gonorrhoea Control Group for HSE-East and HSE-SouthEast
Lenus, 2015
This is a report on the work of the multidisciplinary Gonorrhoea Control Group convened in Dublin in December 2012. The Group investigated the significant increase in the numbers of notifications of gonorrhoea in the eastern part of Ireland and instituted appropriate and effective control measures, resulting in a halt in the rise in notifications of gonorrhoea. A multidisciplinary and partnership approach was used to alert the health system and to provide sexual health information to the groups at most risk of infection. A particular highlight was the use of social media in targeting messages to young people.
Cuts to sexual health services will lead to STI 'explosion', warn experts
The Guardian, 3 January 2016
Cuts to sexual health services will lead to more abortions, unplanned pregnancies and an “explosion” in sexually transmitted infections, medical experts warn.
Gonorrhoea 'could become untreatable'
BBC News, 27 December 2015
Warning comes after concerns were raised that some patients were not getting both of the antibiotics needed to clear the infection. Sexual health doctors said gonorrhoea was "rapidly" developing resistance.
Men over 60 who pay for sex use less protection and purchase more sex as they age
Medical News Today, 6 January 2016
Researchers at the University of Portland surveyed 208 men between the ages of 60 and 84 who solicited sex workers in order to assess their condom use and sexual risk taking.
